Sheffield United vs Vauxhall (Championship Playoff Semi Final Leg 1)

Venue: Bramall Lane

Attendance: 32,609

Starting line up: Dean Bouzanis – Kaka, Sashi Chalwe, Mervin Simon, Grant Baddeley – Alex Chamberlain, Mark Brown, Suso, Keith Higgs – Lenny Nangis, Andrés

Team Talk: For the fans!

We were not the favorites, especially because we had never beaten Sheffield United: they beat us 1-0 at Rivacre Park in December and then we recorded that infamous 3-3 draw in the last game of the season. We had two absences in our squad before the game, Ibrahima MBow was away on international duty while right back Ken Harris was injured and was going to be out until the end of the season. The game started very well for us, the lads appeared to be determined and confident. Moreover, we managed to take the lead after just seven minutes when midfielder Mark Brown played a perfect ball over the top for Andrés and the Spanish striker coolly banged it into the back of the net. Our joy lasted just two minutes though, a great shot from distance went past our brave goalkeeper and it was all square again. The home side appeared to be more confident after that great goal but we stood firm and struck again on a counter attack on 17 minutes: Lenny Nangis flicked a long pass on to Andrés and the killer Spaniard slotted home to put us ahead. Sheffield United started to push forward again but we defended very well until half time, the home side was unable to create any clear chances. We even had a good opportunity to make it 3-1 on a counter attack but Nangis was quite nervous and he missed it.

Half time score: 1-2

Half time team talk: Don’t let your performance drop!

Half time substitutions: Jason Banton for Higgs, Dale Hills for Nangis

Things were looking good at half time but the situation changed after just four minutes, Sheffield United scored from a corner kick with some help from our defenders. The result was still pretty good and we regained control of the game, we were dominating but we were unable to create any more clear cut chances. The game was heading towards a 2-2 draw but we got hit three minutes before the final whistle, right out of nowhere! My defenders should have done a lot better on that occasion, especially Chalwe, but his lack of determination proved decisive. Our chances of moving up to the Premier League were quite slim at that point, we had to beat Sheffield United at home if we wanted to reach the final.

Full time team talk: Sympathise.

Man of the match: Andrés

Flop of the match: Sashi Chalwe

Match Stats

Video Highlights

Click here to watch the match highlights.

Vauxhall vs Sheffield United (Championship Playoff Semi Final Leg 2)

Venue: Rivacre Park

Attendance: 3,000 (capacity crowd)

Starting line up: Dean Bouzanis – Kaka, Carlos Santos, Mervin Simon, Grant Baddeley – Alex Chamberlain, Mark Brown, Suso, Ibrahima MBow – Lenny Nangis, Andrés

Team Talk: For the fans!

The return leg was played three days later at Rivacre Park and I chose to leave out Sashi Chalwe and send in Carlos Santos in defense. I also decided to send in Ibrahima MBow as a left winger, I was hoping that his strength would make a difference on that flank. The game started very well, my lads were piling on the pressure but they were obviously nervous and wasted quite a few chances before the half hour mark. We finally broke the deadlock on 37 minutes, Lenny Nangis was brought down inside the area and Andrés made no mistake from the spot as he powered it straight into the top corner! We were leading on away goals but I wanted to make the gap even wider to make sure. That could have happened a couple of minutes later, midfielder Suso fired a great shot from the edge of the area but it rattled the crossbar near the top corner.

Half time score: 1-0

Half time team talk: For the fans!

Half time substitutions: Jason Banton for Chamberlain, Daniel Toribio for Brown

I was fearing a comeback from Sheffield United but that was nowhere to be seen, we continued to dominate the game after the break. The pressure finally resulted into a goal on the hour mark, Jason Banton finally slotted home after being denied by the keeper on a first attempt. That goal finally unleashed my lads and we managed to score again just four minutes later when Andrés finished a counter attack with a perfect lay-off for Lenny Nangis who found the back of the empty net. I took off Nangis after the goal and replaced him with left winger Keith Higgs while moving M’Bow back into his familiar position as a striker. The move paid off after just a few minutes, Ibrahima MBow played a brilliant back heel pass for Andrés and the Spaniard powered it right in! Midfielder Daniel Toribio got injured 11 minutes from time and that left us with just 10 men on the pitch but the victory was sealed, we were going to Wembley! The other semi final saw Bristol City beating Norwich quite heavily, 4-0 away and 1-0 at home…

Full time team talk: Congratulations!

Man of the match: Andrés

Flop of the match: Alex Chamberlain

Match Stats

Video Highlights

Click here to watch the match highlights.

Bristol City vs Vauxhall (Championship Playoff Final)

Venue: Wembley

Attendance: 51,764

Starting line up: Dean Bouzanis – Kaka, Sashi Chalwe, Mervin Simon, Ray Davis – Alex Chamberlain, Mark Brown, Suso, Jason Banton – Lenny Nangis, Andrés

Team Talk: You can win today!

We had mixed memories of Bristol City, we had beaten them 7-1 a home in November (probably the best performance of the season) but they got revenge and beat us 3-1 in March. They were the favorites but we had to believe in our chances, we did very well to get so far. I made a few changes in the starting eleven for this crucial game: Sashi Chalwe was sent in because I believed that his experience might prove to be important in such a game, Ray Davis replaced Grant Baddeley on the left flank because Baddeley was having fitness problems and Jason Banton was given the starting place as a left winger thanks to his great performance in the second half against Sheffield United. Luck seemed to be against us again though, Bristol City took the lead after just nine minutes with a total fluke, a very lucky goal… We stopped blaming bad luck just six minutes later though as we scored a similar goal: a shot from Lenny Nangis got deflected a few times before rolling into the back of the net! The game was not very entertaining, the two sides were looking well matched. There was no room for errors in such a balanced game but the mistake did come and it came from a player that I would have expected to do much better: Sashi Chalwe. I just couldn’t understand his approach, he basically invited the opposition striker to shoot and that led to Bristol City‘s second goal! I was quite furious after that goal to be honest… Luckily Mervin Simon repaired his partner’s mistake five minutes before the break when he met and Andrés free kick cross with a diving header to make it all square again. We were the better team throughout the opening 45 minutes, I was pleased with the team’s effort (except one player…)

Half time score: 2-2

Half time team talk: Pleased.

Half time substitutions: Carlos Santos for Chalwe

I repaired my mistake at half time and replaced Chalwe with Santos, I was hoping that it wouldn’t prove to be too late… And it wasn’t! It took the lads just two minutes to give us the lead in the second half, a superb team move brought the ball to Lenny Nangis inside the area and the French striker fired a low drive straight into the back of the net! Get in! I was still celebrating that goal when our fans went wild yet again after another two minutes! Alex Chamberlain curled a nice cross inside the area and Suso was there at the back post to put it away, 4-2! I was expecting a fightback from our opponents but they were unable to see much of the ball, my lads were in control! I switched the strategy to counter on 70 minutes just to be safe and also made two substitutions: Grant Baddeley for Davis and Keith Higgs for Chamberlain. The game was safely in our hands, Bristol City were unable to threaten our lead and we won! We won, what a relief, what a joy!

Full time team talk: Well done!

Man of the match: Lenny Nangis

Flop of the match: Sashi Chalwe

Match Stats

Video Highlights

Click here to watch the match highlights.

We’re going to play Premier League football next season and I guess we deserved that at the end of a very good campaign. Middlesbrough and Burnley will also play in the top flight next term but they’ve been there before, we haven’t

Let’s have a look at the player stats now, I have divided them into two categories: the ones who managed to get an average rating above 7 and the others. Our best player of the season was Andrés, no doubt about that: he scored 28 goals and made 18 assists, definitely not bad at all. Mervin Simon also had a good campaign, he scored no less than 15 goals but he probably was the only reliable centre back that I had in defense. I was also very happy for midfielder Mark Brown, he had a fantastic season and I still believe that he can do even better in the future.

11 players failed to reach the magic 7 when it comes to the average rating and I can say that most of them will be leaving the club come July: Daniel Toribio, Matthias Gohlert and Graeme Owens will surely be sold or released if nobody would want to buy them.

Three of my players were selected in the Team Of The Season and that shows that the team has a good backbone: Mervin Simon – Mark Brown – Andrés. These three players will surely remain at the club (that is if the chairman won’t sell them) because I believe that they can become top Premier League footballers in a season or two. Overall I think that we will have to buy around 10 players: 1 goalkeeper, 2 centre backs, 1 right back, 3 right/left wingers, 2 central midfielders and 1 striker.

Our stadium will become a busy construction site for the next nine months! The capacity will be increased by 9,500 seats and that would take it to a decent total of 12,500, not bad!

We’ll be playing our home games on a rugby stadium in Widnes, around 16 miles away from our beloved Ellesmere Port.

There will be a lot of time to worry about the Premier League but now we should celebrate, the club is now among the top 20 in the nation and the town of Ellesmere Port surely is proud of its team. Thanks a lot for reading folks and for supporting me through this journey, much appreciated! Before you dive into the comments box please take a moment to view some images of the nice town of Ellesmere Port (click on each image to expand)

© www.footballmanagerstory.com

Vauxhall vs Cardiff (Championship)

Venue: Rivacre Park

Attendance: 3,000 (capacity crowd)

Starting line up: Dean Bouzanis – Ken Harris, Sashi Chalwe, Mervin Simon, Grant Baddeley – Alex Chamberlain, Mark Brown, Suso, Keith Higgs – Andrés, Dale Hills

Team Talk: I expect a win!

Cardiff were the weakest team in the league, they were in 24th place before the game and I made it clear to the players that we would have no excuses for not winning this match. We didn’t start the game too well though, the players were probably feeling the pressure, but we got a bit lucky as left winger Keith Higgs squeezed in his 10th goal of the season on 16 minutes. Our game didn’t improve much after the goal but we doubled the lead before the break thanks to a rather scrappy goal, a shot from Dale Hills took a deflection off Mervin Simon and went in. We didn’t really deserve to be leading 2-0 at half time, I have to admit that.

Half time score: 2-0

Half time team talk: Encourage.

Half time substitutions: Jason Banton for Higgs, Kaka for Harris

Mervin Simon could have scored his second of the game a couple of minutes after the re-start but his corner kick header hit the post and bounced clear. Cardiff were not giving up and they had a couple of decent chances around the hour mark but they were denied by goalkeeper Dean Bouzanis on a first occasion and then by the crossbar later on. Then we regained control in midfield, probably thanks to substitute Connor Newton who was sent in to replace tired Mark Brown, and Cardiff were no longer able to threaten our three points.

Full time team talk: Well done!

Man of the match: Mervin Simon

Flop of the match: Kaka

Match Stats

Video Highlights

Click here to watch the match highlights.

Norwich vs Vauxhall (Championship)

Venue: Carrow Road

Attendance: 24,824

Starting line up: Dean Bouzanis – Ken Harris, Sashi Chalwe, Mervin Simon, Ray Davis – Alex Chamberlain, Mark Brown, Suso, Keith Higgs – Andrés, Ibrahima MBow

Team Talk: You can win today!

This game was a lot more difficult, Norwich were in 5th place before the match and they were genuine promotion contenders. We didn’t have good memories of them either, they beat us 2-1 at home in the league and 3-2 in the FA Cup. The match was quite tense during the opening minutes, I was expecting that, and the home side came close on 19 minutes when a good effort skimmed off the post. We had our own chance a few minutes later, Ibrahima MBow broke through on a counter attack but the finish was disgusting to say the least. Norwich were the better side though and they finally opened the scoring on 28 minutes, moments after testing the woodwork for the second time. My lads started to play a bit better after that goal but it wasn’t nearly good enough. However, we managed to clinch the equalizer just before half time and it was Mervin Simon who came to the rescue again with a corner kick header.

Half time score: 1-1

Half time team talk: You can win today!

Half time substitutions: Connor Newton for Chamberlain, Daniel Toribio for Suso, Jason Banton for Higgs

I was quite worried at half time, most of my players were exhausted and I would have wanted to make around six or seven substitutions to be honest. That wasn’t possible unfortunately and my team was ripped apart after the break. Norwich dominated the last 45 minutes and they managed to score twice, both goals from corner kicks. We never showed signs of fighting back so I have to admit that it was a well-deserved victory for our opponents. The defeat saw us slipping into third place, one point behind Middlesbrough, so automatic promotion was not looking so possible anymore.

Full time team talk: Disappointing!

Man of the match: Mark Brown

Flop of the match: Ken Harris

Match Stats

Video Highlights

Click here to watch the match highlights.

Middlesbrough vs Vauxhall (Championship)

Venue: The Riverside Stadium

Attendance: 15,159

Starting line up: Dean Bouzanis – Kaka, Carlos Santos, Mervin Simon, Grant Baddeley – Alex Chamberlain, Connor Newton, Suso, Keith Higgs – Lenny Nangis, Dale Hills

Team Talk: You can win today!

This was the match of the season, that’s what I was thinking before the kick-off. Boro were just one point ahead of us in 2nd place so we had to avoid defeat if we wanted to get back that automatic promotion spot. We started the game pretty well this time, the home side was unable to create any chances at all, but we were not very incisive either. Overall it was a pretty boring first half with the only event being the injury to Connor Newton who had to be replaced with Daniel Toribio.

Half time score: 0-0

Half time team talk: You can win today!

Half time substitutions: Sashi Chalwe for Simon, Jason Banton for Higgs

Things got a lot better immediately after the interval, a great pass from Lenny Nangis found Dale Hills behind the defense and the young striker finished the move with a cool finish to give us the lead. We continued to take the game to our opponents after the goal, we were dominating the game completely but we wasted a pair of good chances to put the game to bed. We finally managed to seal the three points a few minutes before the final whistle when a corner kick header from Sashi Chalwe bounced off the crossbar but into the path of Alex Chamberlain who calmly pushed it in. It was a perfect game from my lads as you can see from the match stats, Middlesbrough didn’t show any signs of life in attack!

Full time team talk: Well done!

Man of the match: Alex Chamberlain

Flop of the match: Keith Higgs

Match Stats

Video Highlights

Click here to watch the match highlights.

The great result against a direct rival saw us bouncing back in second place, two points behind leaders Burnley and two points clear of third placed Middlesbrough. Our presence in the promotion playoffs was certain at that point but I was hoping for more, an automatic promotion and maybe even the title!

We had two back to back home games before the end of April, let’s see how those went.

Vauxhall vs Preston (Championship)

Venue: Rivacre Park

Attendance: 3,000 (capacity crowd)

Starting line up: Dean Bouzanis – Ken Harris, Sashi Chalwe, Mervin Simon, Ray Davis – Alex Chamberlain, Mark Brown, Suso, Keith Higgs – Andrés, Ibrahima MBow

Team Talk: You can win today!

Preston were in the middle of a fierce fight to avoid relegation, they were 21st before the game and I was sure that they were going to give us a good run for our money. My lads were totally unleashed though, we created no less than three good chances inside the opening 10 minutes! Those opportunities were not converted unfortunately and that added even more pressure on my team. Ibrahima MBow finally fired one in from inside the penalty area two minutes before the break, I was quite relieved to see that ball finally going in…

Half time score: 1-0

Half time team talk: Pleased.

Half time substitutions: Graeme Owens for Chamberlain, Daniel Toribio for Suso, Jason Banton for Higgs

Preston reacted pretty well after half time and goalkeeper Dean Bouzanis pulled off a pair of good saves to keep us in front before the hour mark. Then the game cooled off a bit as we regained control and Jason Banton killed off the contest six minutes from time with a fine effort.

Full time team talk: Well done!

Man of the match: Andrés

Flop of the match: Alex Chamberlain

Match Stats

Video Highlights

Click here to watch the match highlights.

Vauxhall vs Hull (Championship)

Venue: Rivacre Park

Attendance: 3,000 (capacity crowd)

Starting line up: Dean Bouzanis – Kaka, Carlos Santos, Mervin Simon, Grant Baddeley – Alex Chamberlain, Mark Brown, Suso, Keith Higgs – Lenny Nangis, Andrés

Team Talk: You can win today!

Hull were in 12th place before the game, our last match of April and our last home game of the season as well. I was hoping to say goodbye to our fans with a win and Mervin Simon put us right on track on 25 minutes with yet another corner kick header. We could have doubled the lead before the break but I was pretty happy with the display, especially because Hull had no shots at all during the opening 45 minutes.

Half time score: 1-0

Half time team talk: Pleased.

Half time substitutions: Matthias Gohlert for Brown, Jason Banton for Higgs

We started to play even better after the break and it took us just three minutes to find the back of the net again, Andrés was presented with an easy finish and he slotted home. We continued to dominate and we came close to scoring another pair of goals but the ball hit the woodwork on two occasions. And then… Then the nightmare came… Hull pulled one back on a counter attack on 68 minutes but we were still pretty much in control of the game. That was until the 81st minute, some tragic and comic defending handed Hull the equalizer, I couldn’t believe it…

Full time team talk: Sympathise.

Man of the match: Mark Brown

Flop of the match: Suso

Match Stats

Video Highlights

Click here to watch the match highlights.

We dropped two immense points against Hull, we could have been top of the table if we would have won that game… We were still second, one point behind Burnley but tied on points with Middlesbrough…

We had two more games to play and both were away from home, not an ideal end of season schedule at all.

Let’s see how those two decisive games went, please go to the next page to find out…

Go to the next page to read the rest of the story.

© www.footballmanagerstory.com

Before going to the matches I have some transfer news, not good ones I think. The English transfer window was shut but there was still space for moves in other European countries unfortunately… We received an offer for Guatemalan right winger Carlos Chavez, a pretty good offer I reckon, and the chairman decided to go against my will and accept it. It was a good offer, I agree, but I didn’t want to sell Chavez just yet… I was planning to sell him next summer but not for 1.1 mil, I was expecting to get at least 2.5 mil…

The offer was accepted just before our first game of the month and I was unable to offer Chavez a new contract for some reason so I was expecting to lose him in a few days…

Wigan vs Vauxhall vs (Championship)

Venue: DW Stadium

Attendance: 7,777

Starting line up: Dean Bouzanis – Ken Harris, Sashi Chalwe, Mervin Simon, Grant Baddeley – Carlos Chavez, Mark Brown, Suso, Ibrahima MBow – Lenny Nangis, Andrés

Team Talk: You can win today!

Wigan were 18th before the game, quite disappointing for them as they were having some big names in the squad like Malouda or Lampard. I decided to give Chavez one last game for us in the starting eleven and also decided to send in M’Bow as a left winger to surprise the opponents. That move paid off right away, we took the lead after only two minutes when Ibrahima MBow whipped in a good cross and Lenny Nangis pushed in from close range. Wigan reacted well though and they leveled the score on 22 minutes after being denied by a couple of saves from Dean Bouzanis and by the crossbar on another occasion. Midfielder Suso left the field on a stretcher right after the goal and I sent in Connor Newton to replace him. We regained control of the game after that move but Andrés missed a good chance before half time so it was all square at the break.

Half time score: 1-1

Half time team talk: Pleased.

Half time substitutions: Keith Higgs for Chavez, Jason Banton for Nangis

With Banton coming in for Nangis I moved M’Bow up in his familiar striker position and the change did him well, he powered one home from the edge of the area five minutes after the re-start. He missed a sitter 10 minutes later but his mate Andrés made me forget that 11 minutes from time as he rounded off a quick move to double our lead. Substitute left winger Jason Banton put the cherry on the cake with a fabulous shot from 30 yards just before full time, the three points were ours and I was quite pleased with the performance, especially in the second half. Carlos Chavez put pen to paper a couple of days later, he left the club but we made a nice profit since we signed him on a free transfer last summer.

Full time team talk: Well done!

Man of the match: Ibrahima MBow

Flop of the match: Carlos Chavez

Match Stats

Video Highlights

Click here to watch the match highlights.

My chairman appeared to be keen on making money though as he accepted yet another Scandinavian offer for one of our players: 650K for reserve left back Lucky Sibiya. He was not part of the first team at the time but I still believed in his potential so I wouldn’t have sold him for that kind of money.

Sibiya got sold and I was getting quite annoyed with the chairman, he doesn’t seem to understand my plans for the future. I bought Sibiya for 30K in 2014 from Ajax Cape Town and I was planning to give him more first team football soon…

Vauxhall vs Scunthorpe (Championship)

Venue: Rivacre Park

Attendance: 3,000 (capacity crowd)

Starting line up: Dean Bouzanis – Kaka, Bryan Purdrue, Mervin Simon, Ray Davis – Alex Chamberlain, Connor Newton, Mark Brown, Daniel Toribio – Lenny Nangis, Dale Hills

Team Talk: You can win today!

Back to the pitch, we were meeting 11th placed Scunthorpe at home. There isn’t much to say about the first half, we dominated the game throughout the opening 45 minutes but we were unable to create any clear chances as the team seemed to be lacking inspiration. Scunthorpe came close on a counter attack just before the break but they squandered the chance.

Half time score: 0-0

Half time team talk: We can win this!

Half time substitutions: Carlos Santos for Simon, Matthias Gohlert for Newton, Jason Banton for Brown

The second half was even worse, we were not going anywhere with the ball… We could have clinched the three points though as we had a good last minute chance but we wasted it unfortunately. It was a poor performance overall, the players might have thought that we had already won this one before it even started!

Full time team talk: Not good enough!

Man of the match: Bryan Purdrue

Flop of the match: Matthias Gohlert

Match Stats

Burnley vs Vauxhall (Championship)

Venue: Turf Moor

Attendance: 15,337

Starting line up: Dean Bouzanis – Ken Harris, Sashi Chalwe, Mervin Simon, Grant Baddeley – Alex Chamberlain, Connor Newton, Mark Brown, Keith Higgs – Dale Hills, Ibrahima MBow

Team Talk: You can win today!

We had to do much better at Turf Moor as we were meeting the Championship leaders. We were five points behind Burnley before the game so it was quite clear that a defeat would have taken us out of the title race. Burnley were quite determined to take us out and that was obvious during the opening minutes of the game: they hit the crossbar from distance just two minutes in and then continued to dominate until half time. We defended very well though and managed to restrict them to long shots.

Half time score: 0-0

Half time team talk: Pleased.

Half time substitutions: Graeme Owens for Chamberlain, Jason Banton for Higgs

We started to show more after the break, Burnley were no longer able to dominate possession. We received a good helping hand on the hour mark, one of their strikers made a horrendous two-footed tackle on Sashi Chalwe and the referee showed him the red card! We had a numerical advantage and we started to push forward. Our domination was not doing much damage though, Burnley were holding firm. We needed something special and Jason Banton did just that six minutes from time: he worked the ball as he usually does on the left flank but this time he chose not to cross, he unleashed a surprising shot from out wide and it went straight under the crossbar! Burnley immediately switched to a super-attacking 3-2-4 setup so I changed the strategy to counter and also instructed the players to retain possession. We controlled the final minutes of the game with ease and even doubled the lead just before the final whistle when Dale Hills headed home a cross from man of the match Jason Banton. It was a massive result for us, we cut Burnley’s lead to just two points and we were four points clear of third placed Middlesbrough!

Full time team talk: Well done!

Man of the match: Jason Banton

Flop of the match: Keith Higgs

Match Stats

Video Highlights

Click here to watch the match highlights.

Vauxhall vs Leeds (Championship)

Venue: Rivacre Park

Attendance: 3,000 (capacity crowd)

Starting line up: Dean Bouzanis – Kaka, Sashi Chalwe, Mervin Simon, Ray Davis – Alex Chamberlain, Mark Brown, Daniel Toribio, Jason Banton – Lenny Nangis, Andrés

Team Talk: You can win today!

I was expecting this game to be a tough one, Leeds were in 7th place before the game and were genuine promotion contenders. We got off to a poor start this time, the visitors took the lead after 7 minutes through a free kick header that was facilitated by some weird defending from my players. We were unable to react until half time, my lads were looking tired and uninspired and Leeds could have made it 2-0 before the break but they were denied by the crossbar on a counter attack.

Half time score: 0-1

Half time team talk: I want to see more from you!

Half time substitutions: Graeme Owens for Chamberlain, Connor Newton for Brown, Keith Higgs for Banton

We started to play a bit better after the break and Lenny Nangis finally managed to make it all square after receiving a good through pass from Andrés. Leeds also managed to get a few good shots on target but Bouzanis denied them with a string of good saves but we blew the chance to get the three points as we wasted a pair of good clear cut chances in the dying minutes of the game.

Full time team talk: Sympathise.

Man of the match: Dean Bouzanis

Flop of the match: Graeme Owens

Match Stats

Video Highlights

Click here to watch the match highlights.

Bristol City vs Vauxhall (Championship)

Venue: Ashton Gate

Attendance: 18,744

Starting line up: Dean Bouzanis – Ken Harris, Bryan Purdue, Sashi Chalwe, Grant Baddeley – Alex Chamberlain, Connor Newton, Mark Brown, Keith Higgs – Andrés, Ibrahima MBow

Team Talk: You can win today!

It was he last game of the month, another tough one since we were meeting 4th placed Bristol City. Unfortunately we were missing centre back Mervin Simon as he got injured in training a couple of days before the match, the injury was not too bad but he was out of contention for this important game. We surely felt his absence just after the half hour mark, we had dominated possession up to that point but a poor piece of defending from Purdrue allowed Hitchcock to bag the opening goal. We were not playing too badly but another display of defensive clumsiness made it 2-0 four minutes before the break, it was quite frustrating to watch…

Half time score: 2-0

Half time team talk: Sympathise.

Half time substitutions: Suso for Newton, Jason Banton for Higgs

We got back into the game just four minutes after the re-start, Andrés played a good counter attack through pass for substitute Suso and the Spanish midfielder slotted home to give us a way back into the match. We started to push forward but our opponents defended very well and created a good counter attack chance before scoring a rather lucky goal, a deflection surprised our keeper and the ball rolled into the back of the net. Our hopes of a comeback were ended for good 15 minutes from time when centre back Bryan Purdrue was taken off because of an injury, we were down to 10 men because I had replaced Nangis with Alex Chamberlain on the hour mark. Purdrue will be out for seven weeks, maybe we’ll be better off without him…

Full time team talk: Sympathise.

Man of the match: Suso

Flop of the match: Grant Baddeley

Match Stats

Video Highlights

Click here to watch the match highlights.

So, we grabbed two wins, two draws and ended the month with a defeat. We beat the league leaders away from home but then threw all that good work to the thrash can in the following two games…

However, we remain second and we have a smaller deficit towards Burnley compared to the start of the month. Middlesbrough and Bristol City are breathing down our neck though, they are close and we’ll have to be more consistent next month if we want to stay second.

Young centre back Mervin Simon received the Young Player of the Month award for March and he didn’t score any goals this month. His performances in defense were right out of the top drawer though and we surely missed him in that Bristol City game.

April will be decisive for our promotion race: we’ll start with an easy game against bottom side Cardiff but then we’ll meet promotion rivals Norwich and Middlesbrough, both away from home! Those two back to back away games will be extremely important, especially the one against Boro, but we’ll also have to win the three home games if we want to stay up there.

Before wrapping up I want you to have a look at our finances, the club is quite wealthy now after the chairman’s Scandinavian sales… I hope he’ll be investing some of this money back into the club next summer, I might forgive him for the sales if he does.

That’s it for now my friends, thanks a lot for reading this update. I would also like to invite you to read a guest post I have written for SoccerLens, the number 1 football blog in the world: From playing Football Manager to being a Football Manager.

© www.footballmanagerstory.com

Vauxhall vs Peterborough (Championship)

Venue: Rivacre Park

Attendance: 3,000 (capacity crowd)

Starting line up: Dean Bouzanis – Kaka, Sashi Chalwe, Mervin Simon, Grant Baddeley – Alex Chamberlain, Connor Newton, Daniel Toribio, Keith Higgs – Lenny Nangis, Andrés

Team Talk: You can win today!

Peterborough were down in 19th place before the game so it was a good chance for us to grab the much needed three points. Our plans seemed to be a bit too optimistic though as the visitors had two clear chances early on before we took the lead against the run of play in the 20th minute when centre back Mervin Simon nodded in a corner kick cross. The goal gave my lads more confidence and they started to play a little better. It took us only 16 minutes to double the lead, striker Andrés did well to round off a quick team move with a powerful finish. Peterborough reacted with good determination but they were denied by goalkeeper Dean Bouzanis twice before Lenny Nangis bagged his 10th goal of the season on the stroke of half time. The result was quite harsh on our opponents as they played as good as we did overall.

Half time score: 3-0

Half time team talk: Pleased.

Half time substitutions: Graeme Owens for Chamberlain, Matthias Gohlert for Toribio, Ibrahima MBow for Nangis

The result seemed to be secured and my lads got a bit complacent, Peterborough were dominating the game and deservedly pulled one back with a great goal just after the hour mark. We defended a bit better after that goal though and managed to restrict the opponents to shots from distance. We grabbed the three points but I was not pleased with the team’s performance.

Full time team talk: none

Man of the match: Andrés

Flop of the match: Graeme Owens

Match Stats

Video Highlights

Click here to watch the match highlights.

Swindon vs Vauxhall (Championship)

Venue: The County Ground

Attendance: 7,093

Starting line up: Dean Bouzanis – Ken Harris, Sashi Chalwe, Mervin Simon, Ray Davis – Alex Chamberlain, Mark Brown, Suso, Jason Banton – Lenny Nangis, Andrés

Team Talk: You can win today!

Swindon were in 18th place before the match so they were needing the three points as badly as we were. We got off to a slow start again but this time we also got punished for that as Swindon took the lead just 90 seconds after the kick off. Luckily Mervin Simon stepped up again to restore parity from a corner kick just three minutes later and then we even took the lead on 9 minutes when Andrés skipped past two defenders before powering in. The team was looking good, we were dominating the game but squandered a couple of chances before Lenny Nangis tucked in an Andrés cross. Unfortunately Swindon found the back of the net again seven minutes before the break to maintain their 100 percent shooting ratio: two goals from two shots on target. My lads were not to be denied though and Lenny Nangis scored his second goal of the game just before half time as he rounded off a superb team move.

Half time score: 2-4

Half time team talk: Pleased.

Half time substitutions: Graeme Owens for Chamberlain, Daniel Toribio for Brown, Ibrahima MBow for Nangis

I was sure that we were going to get the three points and I was expecting my team to score a few more goals after the break. Unfortunately Swindon were looking like they were being managed by Harry Potter, their third shot on target went in 10 minutes after the re-start! Another 15 minutes went by, we wasted a few more chances, and then Daniel Toribio made a huge error inside our penalty area and gifted Swindon the equalizer! I just couldn’t believe it. We still had 15 minutes to get back ahead but luck was not on our side, we squandered another couple of big chances and dropped two points that seemed to be ours at half time. It was a nightmare but we had to forget about it quickly…

Full time team talk: Sympathise.

Man of the match: Lenny Nangis

Flop of the match: Daniel Toribio

Match Stats

Video Highlights

Click here to watch the match highlights.

Vauxhall vs Swansea (Championship)

Venue: Rivacre Park

Attendance: 3,000 (capacity crowd)

Starting line up: Dean Bouzanis – Ken Harris, Carlos Santos, Mervin Simon, Grant Baddeley – Alex Chamberlain, Mark Brown, Suso, Keith Higgs – Lenny Nangis, Andrés

Team Talk: You can win today!

We had a chance to redeem ourselves against 9th placed Swansea, a much more difficult opponent but this time we had the support of our regular 3,000 fans. The game did not start well for us as we lost left winger Keith Higgs to injury after just six minutes but Andrés gave us the lead on 13 minutes with a great strike. Right winger Alex Chamberlain made it 2-0 on 25 minutes after firing in from close range but then Swansea took over and forced goalie Dean Bouzanis to make a couple of fine saves before half time.

Half time score: 2-0

Half time team talk: Encourage.

Half time substitutions: Ibrahima MBow for Nangis, Connor Newton for Brown

Chamberlain‘s offensive appetite was on display after the break as well and he managed to net his second goal of the game on 54 minutes when he volleyed home a good cross from left back Grant Baddeley. He even had the chance to make it a hat-trick seven minutes later, Andrés was brought down inside the penalty area but Chamberlain was unlucky to hit the post from the spot. We were enjoying a great spell of dominance and we finally managed to convert that into another goal six minutes from time when Andrés blazed in a beautiful free kick shot. Something wrong happened from that point to the final whistle though as we gifted Swansea a goal and another two clear chances in just six minutes! I was relieved to hear the final whistle and see the three points in our bag, my players were showing unbelievable lack of concentration on some occasions…

Full time team talk: Well done!

Man of the match: Andrés

Flop of the match: Ibrahima MBow

Match Stats

Video Highlights

Click here to watch the match highlights.

Our next game was the replay of the FA Cup fourth round clash with Premiership side Bolton, we managed to grab a pleasing 2-2 draw away from home and our fans were looking forward to welcoming a top flight club at Rivacre Park. Please go to the next page to see what happened…

Go to the next page to read the rest of the story.

© www.footballmanagerstory.com

Vauxhall vs Southampton (FA Cup 3rd round)

Venue: Rivacre Park

Attendance: 3,000 (capacity crowd)

Starting line up: Dean Bouzanis – Kaka, Bryan Purdrue, Mervin Simon, James Campbell – Alex Chamberlain, Connor Newton, Mark Brown, Daniel Toribio – Andrés, Dale Hills

Team Talk: You can win today!

The first game of the new year was our FA Cup debut, fellow Championship side Southampton were coming at Rivacre Park. We had a pretty good Carling Cup run, went all the way to the Quarter Finals where we got knocked out by Man United, so I wanted to do well in the FA Cup too and bring some money into the club’s bank account. It was a special game for our newest signing, Brazilian right back Kaka, he had just joined the club on January 1st on a free transfer and I decided to send him right in. We started on the wrong foot though, striker Dale Hills missed a great opportunity 10 minutes into the game and Southampton punished us just a minute later! We fought back right away and Hills didn’t miss on 17 minutes after receiving a great pass from Andrés. He did waste another chance five minutes later but right winger Alex Chamberlain made up for that as he headed home a Daniel Toribio cross to give us the lead. The team was playing brilliantly and we managed to score the third goal five minutes before the break when Hills rounded off a team move with a powerful finish. There still was time for another goal, Andrés whipped that in two minutes before the interval with a great curling free kick shot (that goal surely is worth watching!).

Half time score: 4-1

Half time team talk: Pleased.

Half time substitutions: Grant Baddeley for Kaka, Jason Banton for Brown, Ibrahima MBow for Hills

The second half was not as spectacular but we continued to play well and kept things under control with ease. This was a great way to kick off the new year and I was hoping to see more such performances from my lads.

Full time team talk: Well done!

Man of the match: Dale Hills

Flop of the match: Ibrahima MBow

Match Stats

Video Highlights

Click here to watch the match highlights.

As you remember from the last update we had a hot transfer story on our hands as striker Ibrahima MBow was attracting interest from Europe’s biggest clubs. I decided to offer him a new contract until 2019 and I was thrilled that he accepted the offer!

The new contract seemed to have put off all the clubs that were chasing him as none of them made an official offer for him during January. However, I still had other interesting players for them: Arsenal made a bid for 17-year old striker Paul Harris, not a first team regular but a great prospect. I asked for 10 million plus 50% of a future transfer and Arsenal backed down

There will be more transfer news later, now let’s get back to the league matches.

Brentford vs Vauxhall (Championship)

Venue: Griffin Park

Attendance: 7,784

Starting line up: Dean Bouzanis – Ken Harris, Sashi Chalwe, Mervin Simon, Grant Baddeley – Alex Chamberlain, Mark Brown, Suso, Jason Banton – Andrés, Ibrahima MBow

Team Talk: You can win today!

Fellow newly-promoted side Brentford were struggling to avoid relegation as they were down in 22nd place before the match. We started the game in a decent fashion, we were dominating but we were not really doing much damage. Things turned complicated after 26 minutes when midfielder Mark Brown had to leave the field on a stretcher, I sent in Daniel Toribio to replace him but that didn’t change much in our game as we were still looking slow and uninspired. The frustrating afternoon became a nightmare on 35 minutes, Brentford caught us napping on a counter attack and took the lead. They nearly did that again two minutes later but then my lads woke up and created two good chances before the break. We were not too lucky though as we were denied by the keeper on a first occasion and by the crossbar later on.

Half time score: 1-0

Half time team talk: I want to see more from you!

Half time substitutions: Carlos Santos for Baddeley, Keith Higgs for Banton

The second half wasn’t much better but this time we had Keith Higgs, the left winger came off the bench to give us the three points! First he headed home an Andrés free kick cross on the hour mark and then bagged the decisive goal during injury time as he fired into the bottom corner after receiving a good pass from Toribio! That was a lot more difficult than expected but I was pleased with the fightback.

Full time team talk: Well done!

Man of the match: Keith Higgs

Flop of the match: Jason Banton

Match Stats

Video Highlights

Click here to watch the match highlights.

And now, some more transfer news. As you know centre back Sashi Chalwe was unwilling to extend his contract with us and since the deal was expiring next July there were already some contract offers for him. He decided to accept an offer from French club Lorient so he will be leaving the club come July. However, I hope that he will carry on and do a professional job for us until then.

Three players left the club in January, I decided to sell them as I felt that they were no longer needed. I received only 70K back into the transfer budget from these though, not nearly enough to consider buying players right now. Left backs Campbell and Pawelec were sold as I decided to promote young full back Ray Davis from the reserves team, he spent the first half of the season on loan at Tranmere and he did a great job there so I chose to promote him into the first team to compete with Grant Baddeley for a place in the starting eleven.

Curiously enough, immediately after promoting Ray Davis to the first team I received an offer for him from… Arsenal! I guess that I was not mistaken about his potential, the offer was refused!

Vauxhall vs Leicester (Championship)

Venue: Rivacre Park

Attendance: 3,000 (capacity crowd)

Starting line up: Dean Bouzanis – Ken Harris, Sashi Chalwe, Mervin Simon, Ray Davis – Alex Chamberlain, Connor Newton, Suso, Keith Higgs – Andrés, Ibrahima MBow

Team Talk: You can win today!

Leicester were in 8th place before the game so it’s safe to say that I considered them to be genuine promotion contenders. We were incredibly lucky during the initial stages of the game as Leicester wasted a huge chance inside the first minute and then put through their own net just two minutes later! That start was a big blow for them so we took control of the game and centre back Mervin Simon was denied by the crossbar before Keith Higgs found the back of the net again with a shining solo effort.

Half time score: 2-0

Half time team talk: Encourage.

Half time substitutions: Jason Banton for Higgs, Daniel Toribio for Newton

Leicester regained their composure after the break and they were pushing forward with good impetus. Their efforts were rewarded just when we were starting to play better though, they caught us on a counter attack and our three points were in danger. Luckily we restored the two-goal lead just six minutes later when Jason Banton was tripped inside the box and Andrés powered in from the penalty spot. Leicester played very well, especially in the second half, so I guess we could count ourselves lucky to win this one.

Full time team talk: Disappointing!

Man of the match: Keith Higgs

Flop of the match: Daniel Toribio

Match Stats

Video Highlights

Click here to watch the match highlights.

Stoke vs Vauxhall (Championship)

Venue: Britannia Stadium

Attendance: 20,532

Starting line up: Dean Bouzanis – Ken Harris, Sashi Chalwe, Mervin Simon, Ray Davis – Alex Chamberlain, Connor Newton, Suso, Keith Higgs – Andrés, Ibrahima MBow

Team Talk: You can win today!

This was the last league match of the month and it was expected to be a tough one since Stoke were in 6th place before the game. The opening 10 minutes were a total onslaught, the Potters were all over us and I guess we were lucky to concede just one goal before the 11th minute. Then we started to play a bit better but just when I was hoping to see an equalizer Stoke doubled their lead with a great shot from distance. We did manage to reduce the arrears four minutes before half time when Andrés converted a penalty kick and we totally deserved that since we had played a pretty good first half except the opening minutes.

Half time score: 2-1

Half time team talk: You can win today!

Half time substitutions: Jason Banton for Higgs

Things got a lot better just two minutes after the re-start, Mervin Simon powered in a corner kick header and it was all square! The equalizer triggered a fierce reaction from the home side though and they got back in front after just seven minutes thanks to their very good pair of strikers. We were unable to show a good reaction until the final 10 minutes and then it was too late, Stoke grabbed the three points thanks to better finishing and composure throughout the game.

Full time team talk: Good effort!

Man of the match: Mervin Simon

Flop of the match: Suso

Match Stats

Video Highlights

Click here to watch the match highlights.

The defeat against Stoke left us in the exact same position that we had at the start of the month: in second place, five points behind Burnley and tied with Middlesbrough.

We had one more game to play before the end of the month, the FA Cup fourth round match against Premier League side Bolton.

Bolton vs Vauxhall (FA Cup 4th round)

Venue: Reebok Stadium

Attendance: 13,801

Starting line up: Dean Bouzanis – Ken Harris, Sashi Chalwe, Mervin Simon, Grant Baddeley – Alex Chamberlain, Mark Brown, Suso, Keith Higgs – Andrés, Ibrahima MBow

Team Talk: Pressure is off!

Bolton were strong favorites for this one so I decided to ease the pressure on my players, we had the league to focus on and the FA Cup was just a nice bonus. In fact, Bolton were much better than us during the opening minutes of the game and they deservedly broke the deadlock after just 12 minutes. We got a bit lucky just eight minutes later when Mervin Simon converted another corner kick into a goal, we scored against the run of play but you can’t be choosy in such games. Then Bolton returned in command, they were piling on the pressure but we held out until half time as my lads defended pretty well.

Half time score: 1-1

Half time team talk: Pleased.

Half time substitutions: Ray Davis for Baddeley, Daniel Toribio for Brown, Jason Banton for Higgs

We did even better after the re-start, Bolton were no longer dominating the game and we managed to create a pair of decent chances before the hour mark. And then we took the lead on 66 minutes, Ibrahima MBow was denied by the keeper but the loose ball bounced into Andrés‘ path and the Spanish striker fired it into the empty net. Our joy was short-lived though, Bolton pegged us back after just four minutes by taking advantage of some rather poor defending. My lads remained calm and courageous despite that and we even managed to come close to the winning goal before the final minutes of the game. We had to endure some pressure during injury time and midfielder Suso sacrificed himself seconds before the final whistle by committing a professional foul that got him sent off. We earned the right to a replay and I guess we couldn’t have hoped for more than that.

Full time team talk: Good result!

Man of the match: Mervin Simon

Flop of the match: Ray Davis

Match Stats

Video Highlights

Click here to watch the match highlights.

Keith Higgs was awarded the Championship Young Player of the Month as he bagged three goals in three appearances in January. He seems to be having a good season this time as he already has eight goal and three assists this term compared to the four goals and two assists that he managed in League One.

Next month will be decisive, we’ll have six league games to play plus the FA Cup replay against Bolton. The good thing is that we’re going to meet only teams from the lower half of the Championship table so we might have a chance to bring in a few points to consolidate our promotion bid.

That’s about it for now folks, thanks a lot for reading and please don’t forget to submit your entries in the Goal of the Month competition! I’d also like to invite you to view my guest post on SoccerLens, there’s a Football Manager 2011 tactic up for grabs there as well

© www.footballmanagerstory.com